Bronchitis?

[Thia]

We all had a nasty cold or flu here before Christmas. A couple of the kids are still congested. I am coughing my brains out, as we say here. It really is a nasty cough. As we know, I didn't get good rest while initially ill b/c I was caring for everyone else, then we got into the pressure of Christmas, then we had 18 inches of snow that had to be dealt with. So I really did push myself too far. I have now had three decent nights of sleep, and a good amount of rest during the day. Still congested and coughing. I did some reading, sounds like bronchitis, but what I read said that not all bronchitis is treatable w/ abx. So...is it worth wrangling childcare and all to go to the drs or will this clear up? I'm really stuck on what to do. I want to feel better (like, yesterday), but it's not easy for me to get to dr. I'll have to rely on my sil, but of course I don't germs to transfer to my 10 month old nephew. Any ideas?

[camperjen]

Bronchitis is self-limiting (it'll get better) if viral. I don't think it would be necessary to run off to the doctor, especially if you don't want to quite yet. How long coughing? A couple of weeks? Christmas was only eight days ago...

I hope you're feeling better! We had influenza over Christmas and are still coughing, though I'm nervous about pneumonia rather than bronchitis. I'm hanging out and waiting, though - it's not obviously terrible yet. Ugh... yet.

[Auroras mom]

Almost all bronchitis is viral, like 95% of cases. An inhaler has been found to have far better results in shortening duration than anything else.

Here is an excellent, peer-reviewd article on the topic:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/1998/0315/p1270.html

[keeper4ever]

Is an inhaler ok to use with a nursing toddler? I've been looking but haven't found any thing I feel comfortable using as a source. And of course I don't have a Dr. Hales. Personal experiences? I've had basically the same experience as OP as far as being sick and pushing too hard.
I Went to Dr, got abx, and found out I'm allergic to codeine. Dr gave DH an inhaler but not me, but I'm so sick of coughing I would use it if it's relatively safe for dd2.

[Weezie]

Is an inhaler ok to use with a nursing toddler? I've been looking but haven't found any thing I feel comfortable using as a source. And of course I don't have a Dr. Hales. Personal experiences? I've had basically the same experience as OP as far as being sick and pushing too hard.
I Went to Dr, got abx, and found out I'm allergic to codeine. Dr gave DH an inhaler but not me, but I'm so sick of coughing I would use it if it's relatively safe for dd2.

If it's albuterol yes. I did.

[Thia]

Keeper- I hope you get some relief! I can't imagine feeling like this and being pg. Praying for you.

As for me, I slept through the night last night! I didn't wake up to cough at all! I see this as good progress and am hopeful now.

[illinoismommy]

I would probably just watch and wait.

[mom2afew]

I'm in a similar boat here, I know this is a little older, but I didn't want to start a whole new thread. Thia, how are you feeling? what did you end up doing?

I've been coughing since before Christmas, sometimes so hard i'm almost throwing up. New yrs eve I finally got so sick of it and went to the dr since I wasn't getting any better, got put on abx, they seem to help a little, but created a miserable baby at night. so sleep went out the window. I'm so worn out, and tired, and so sick of coughing up stuff :sick

when I went to the dr, she said it was either bronchitis or phnemonia, only way to really know the difference is an x-ray, but i'm nursing and it doesn't change the treatment.

I don't know if there is anything I can do to help myself get better naturally, any help would be appreciated.

[Thia]

Thia, how are you feeling? what did you end up doing?

I confess...I'm not very crunchy when it comes to treating illness around here.
As of right now, my biggest complaint is that I am just so stinking TIRED! I feel like I need to really push myself just to get through a normal day here and I need to sit down often. By the time we finish school, I can't talk for an hour b/c my throat is too weak and I have no voice. I still cough a lot, but only have one major "fit" per day or so. Coughing has not woken me up at night for the last two or three nights, so that's a welcome change. I still feel belabored for breath once in a while too. But I do feel that I am slowly making progress.

Treatment, when I was at my worst was Tylenol (so sore from coughing), cough medicine around the clock, cough drops constantly, vicks at night. Also, when the above wasn't working very well...a nip or two. I also upped my vitamin D a bit. Now, I'm down to cough drops all day, cough medicine at night if I feel I need it (maybe 50% of the time). And lots of hot tea.

I hope you feel better soon. I keep reminding myself that I read it can take 3-5 weeks to fully recover from bronchitis. :(

[camperjen]

Christina, what abx were you put on? I assume you did the full round and are done with it but still coughing? Do you feel better or worse after a steamy, hot shower? My son felt better because it helped loosen the mucous in his lungs (he had pneumonia) and it made me worse because I simply coughed but nothing ever came up. Are you coughing up phlegm? Have you ever been asthmatic?

[keeper4ever]

I'm happy to say I'm finally seeing a light at the end of this tunnel (after 3 months!)! Since I couldn't stop coughing I started using an albuterol inhaler (thank you, Weezie!) and I started taking Mucinex DM twice a day. I got the strength below the one that says "maximum strength". I didn't want to take meds, but I could not stop coughing. The mucinex took the edge off, and the inhaler helped when I got so clogged I felt like I couldn't breathe. Today I was able to skip one dose of the mucinex, and finally go without the inhaler. I could tell by tonight I hadn't had the mucinex, but took a dose and started coughing up stuff, but not coughing as much. The meds were totally worth it. I think I would be much sicker now if I hadn't taken them.
Hope Thia and Christina are feeling better!

[Thia]

I still cough, but it's such a mild one, I don't complain. I'm still more tired than normal, but that could be for any number of reasons.

[cbmk4]

This (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/254970.php) news article is timely. The average length of time a cough lasted was 18 days, but that means that the range of days for cough duration was even longer than that (20-some days, but I can't remember exactly). Since a person can get two colds in succession, it's very possible to have a cough for over 40 days that is caused by two different viruses.

Antibiotics in this case are worthless and potentially dangerous. I am glad that more publicity is being given to the inappropriate use of antibiotics.

[Mama2MeadowRose]

Bronchitis?? "Aint nobody got time for that!" :D (okay I'll duck out now)

[GlacierLily]

*****

[mom2afew]

I'm feeling much better!! I think I had that bug for about a month. It's weird, the shower never really helped me much, but I was coughing up stuff, always in the mornings. it's becoming less and less, but occasionally I still well. I took biaxin I think it was called, for 6 days, was supposed to be 7, I think the pharmacy messed up.